Conventional refrigerators often comprise two chambers, each of which may have a plurality of compartments and/or shelves. A first chamber, referred to as a refrigeration chamber, can be kept a few degrees above zero degrees Celsius. A second chamber, referred to as a freezer chamber, can be kept below zero.
As food tends to spoil at different rates depending on storage temperature, some food may be kept in the refrigeration chamber while other food may be kept in the freezer chamber. Often, food intended to be consumed in the short term is kept in the refrigeration chamber, while food intended to be stored for longer is kept in the freezer chamber.
When it is desired to use refrigerated food for cooking, it may be preferable to defrost the food before use. Defrosting food may be accomplished, for example, by leaving food sitting out at ambient temperature until thawed to a diner's satisfaction, or by microwaving the food—saving time, but possibly ruining taste.
A disadvantage of leaving food to defrost at ambient temperature is that the amount of time taken to defrost food is highly variable, depending on, for example, the starting temperature of the food, the ambient temperature, the size, thermal density and surface area of the food, the ambient temperature, and the type of food. Owing in part to the inherent variability of required defrost time and in part to frailties of the memory of diners, once left out, food is often forgotten, causing it to sit for too long at ambient and spoil.